Women demand respect for Kurdish rights

Reactions rejecting policies and decisions that affect the rights of the Kurdish people continue, particularly the decision concerning language and education, amid calls to respect the Kurdish people’s right to learn in their mother tongue and preserve their language, culture and identity, as well as demands for the truth about the violations witnessed in the region to be uncovered and those responsible held accountable.

In this context, the Kongra Star, in the presence of dozens of women, members of women’s organizations, and members of the Sara Organization for Combating Violence Against Women, issued a statement in the Marsho neighborhood of Hasakah. The statement was read in Kurdish by Kongra Star member Zerin Hessaf and in Arabic by the member Amani al-Gharbi.

The statement referred to the rapid developments unfolding in the region and the accompanying decisions and policies affecting the rights of the Kurdish people, stressing that these developments cannot be treated as merely administrative or educational decisions detached from the political reality in which the region finds itself.

The statement added: “The decision by the Ministry of Education concerning language and education directly affects one of the most important rights of the Kurdish people; their right to education in their mother tongue and to preserve their language, culture and identity.”

The statement continued: “Targeting the mother tongue is not merely an attack on a language; it is an attack on identity, history, and the right of future generations to know their language and culture.” It noted that the Kurdish people, who have paid a heavy price and sacrificed thousands of lives defending their existence and rights, would not accept being denied their children’s natural right to education in their mother tongue.

The statement also addressed the events witnessed in the region, foremost among them the death of Sami Sheikhmous (Sipan Hesso), a fighter in the ranks of the Syrian Ministry of Defense, and the events in Kobani. It said these developments, along with the recent decisions, raise serious concerns over policies aimed at changing the reality of the Kurdish people, undermining their national and cultural rights, and imposing a new reality on the peoples of the region.

It noted that the students, residents and members of the Kurdish community taking to the streets was a legitimate and peaceful expression of their rejection of these policies and their commitment to their rights, as well as a clear message that the Kurdish language is not a matter for negotiation.

Regarding the violations and the bloodshed, the statement said the deadly events witnessed in the region cannot go without justice, calling for independent and transparent legal investigations into all the events, killings and violations, and for the truth to be made public.

The statement called for holding accountable anyone who committed, ordered, incited, or contributed to the commission of massacres and crimes, without exception or discrimination. It stressed that seeking justice does not mean seeking revenge, but rather ensuring accountability and upholding the rule of law.

In its statement, the Kongra Star called on the Ministry of Education to reverse the decision affecting the Kurdish people’s right to education in their mother tongue. It also called on the Transitional Government to assume its responsibilities, respect the rights of all communities, and recognize the region’s linguistic and cultural diversity.

It further called on human rights bodies and international organizations to assume their responsibilities, monitor violations against civilians, and work to ensure the rights of peoples and hold those responsible for crimes accountable.

The Kongra Star concluded its statement by stressing that defending the Kurdish language means defending a fundamental right of the Kurdish people, and that any attempt to impose a new reality at the expense of their identity and rights would face popular and peaceful rejection.

At the end of the statement, the participants chanted slogans: “Our mother tongue is our right, our identity is our right, justice is the right of every victim, and no impunity.”

ANHA